Maryland mourns the passing of former U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes

HAGERSTOWN, Md. (WDVM) — Maryland, and the U.S., are mourning the passing of former Democratic U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes.

The son of Greek immigrants died Sunday night at age 87. He served from a Baltimore district in the U.S. House of Representatives where he filed articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon. Sarbanes then went on to a distinguished career in the Senate where he was a crusader against financial scandals and a champion of protecting the Chesapeake Bay.

Peter E. Perini, Sr. was a friend of Senator Sarbanes and says “he was a quiet giant in the Senate. He was soft-spoken but he got things done. Anyone who mistook his quiet demeanor was sadly mistaken if they didn’t think he had strength of conviction.”

Senator Sarbanes worked with a quiet but effective demeanor. The ivy-educated lawmaker was a rare breed in that he never issued a press release to promote his work on Capitol Hill.

His son, Congressman John Sarbanes, represents Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District.

There was an outpouring of affection Monday for Senator Sarbanes from U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, Governor Larry Hogan, Congressman David Trone among many, many others.